A suggestion a day from the Williamsburg Regional Library

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter, by Jennifer Reese

I like making food from scratch and I have been cooking almost all of my family’s meals from scratch for 20 years. My favorite cookbooks are splattered and grease stained–my favorite chocolate cookbook with a recipe for Black Forest Cake, even more than most. The finished cake is wonderful, but I am not sure if I am really willing to go to all the effort of melting, mixing and measuring for the finished product or the gustatory pleasures of licking out the bowl!

Cookbooks are perennially popular, and books about food (with or without recipes) are experiencing a boom. I like reading about food but find some of the recent books pretentious and sanctimonious. Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn’t Cook from Scratch–Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods doesn’t take itself too seriously and has some great recipes. I don’t agree with all of Jennifer Reese’s pronouncements on which items should be made and which should be bought (buy rice pudding?) but I can’t go past any book that says: “Here in Northern California, where you can’t throw a Birkenstock without hitting an artisanal bakery, it’s still hard to find finicky butter-based pastries like the croissant. ”

I decided to rise to the challenge of croissants since I currently bake most of our own bread (with the help of a bread maker) and made croissants from scratch many years ago. I had some difficulties with milk that was too hot for the yeast and an oven that was too hot for the bottoms of the croissants on the lower tray but the five petits pains au chocolat that I made were just right. As Jennifer Reese says, it was an “unbelievable hassle” but the results were worth it.

Since I firmly believe that chocolate cookies should be in a food group of their own, another recipe I found intriguing was for homemade Oreos. Growing up in another country, I came to Oreos as an adult. I find them tasty in small doses, but somehow artificial tasting. Homemade has to be better, right? I think my first attempt at Homemade Oreos was a resounding success. My kids and work colleagues pointed out that I didn’t make Oreos because “real” Oreos always come in a packet. But everyone, including me, thought my creation of a rich crumbly, deep chocolate cookie with a creamy filling was much better than anything “real.”

This book is great for people who are thinking of making more of their own food from scratch and need recipes. It is also full of entertaining tidbits that started out in Jennifer Reese’s blog, The Tipsy Baker. I enjoy her lack of pretentiousness. In one story she talks about one of her dearest family memories consisting of blobbing in front of the TV to watch The Lord of the Rings on DVD while eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. She compares it to an occasion when she proudly and successfully made delicious and healthy homemade fried chicken from scratch, imaging a Waltons-like family gathering, including “corn likker,” only to see everyone eat and disappear to their own affairs like the meal was nothing special. The take-away message from this amusing book is make the bread from scratch when you can because it is cheaper, tastier and healthier, but don’t beat yourself up for needing to run into the supermarket to grab Wonder Bread.

I like to cook a lot of things from scratch too because it just tastes better. I just checked out this book at the bookstore recently but I didn’t get it because I’ve seen many of these recipes elsewhere or have them (I have quite a collection). But I have to say, last summer I showed my kids how to make homemade bread. While it was baking, we put heavy cream in a jar and shook up some homemade butter too. Now THAT is well worth it when that bread comes out of the oven!

I was trained to cook from scratch. This is wonderful in a commercial kitchen where you have especially hired persons to clean after you. A baugette you’ve crafted with your own hands is lovely but loses its luster when held up against a flour-strewn kitchen and a sink full of implements you’ve pulled out for the occasion.

I love cooking from scratch, although some people disagree with my tastes.

But who doesn’t like Homemade HOT Ground Dried Chili Ice Cream?
Or Hummus with 5 extra cloves of garlic instead of just 2 with some dried chili peppers in the mix.

There are some things I did try and make that tasted good, such as Brownies

Everyone was very surprised and running for the kitchen once the Hot sauce containing one of the hottest peppers in the world hit their tongues. It was genius on my and my friend’s part as you couldn’t taste the heat until it was already well chewed and swallowed. Taught everyone not to trust a brownie again :P lol That was fun

Homemade butter is sooo easy to make so I do make it a few times a year. Then you can control the salt and add in fun things like chives and garlic.
I even make my own mustard now. But there are many things, like cheese crackers, that I know my family wouldn’t try homemade. It really sucks that they are so unadventurous.

Funny, I have the book too, I had the exact same reaction about her pronouncements about what was worth making or not, including the rice pudding. Recently, I made her sliced white bread recipe and it was delicious and beautiful. Have you tried The Homemade Pantry yet? I can recommend it.

I definitely have to look out for this one. Thanks for the recommendation.

I make homemade oreos, too. Have you tried peppermint oreos? Make your oreos the usual way, but add some peppermint extract (and possibly a little green food colouring if you have children). I made them once and have never looked back.

How nice! And homemade Oreos sounds intriguing… I also had my firs Oreo after I turned 18 I think and never understood the hype so much, but this absolutely must be worth the effort. Thanks for sharing!

I don’t have any *fun* cookbooks like this. They’re all utilitarian without much in the way of insight into the author’s themselves. Actually, I think all of my cookbooks came from my grandmother, so maybe I already know what the author was thinking. “Change your apron before your husband comes home and greet him at the door with a kiss and a drink.”

It’s comforting to know that people still buy cookbooks. I figured everyone found their recipes online these days. As far as cooking from scratch, I’ve been doing that for 30 years. And that INCLUDES making my own butter each week. I’ve never owned a microwave and I still percolate my coffee. There isn’t a can of Campbell’s Cream of… anything in my house! But, for pete’s sake, I hope no one beats themselves up for buying something instead of making it! It’s all about what fits YOUR life! I make all of my own stocks, too, but I still buy it sometimes. No big deal. I have friends who live on microwave food and love it, especially the no fuss, no muss. Who can blame them? They don’t like to cook, so that works for them. But, for me, I’ll keep making my own butter!

Having known Jan for almost ten years now, I can attest that I have never seen store-bought bread on her counter. She does actually make several loaves of bread a day, most days. But I think I need to make a trip to Virginia to check out chocolate croissants and homemade Oreos. Yum yum.

I do have store-bought bread on my counter right now I think. My kids demand sometimes it for their school lunches. The homemade bread is best very fresh and when you don’t need neat slices. Come any time for chocolate croissants and homemade Oreos! But if I remember correctly, the last time you visited my family failed to remove the cake and pizza from the oven while I was at the airport so I offered you burnt food!
Jan

I, too, make bread with the help of a machine, along with homemade
raspberry jam and applesauce. Reading this reliable review makes me want to add this cookbook to my collection. Thanks for the insight!

Congrats for being freshly pressed .I would say cooking from scratch is the healthier option. Apart from having control over the ingredients that we consume, it sends a silent message to our kids to do likewise.

When I saw this blog is about books, I actually went crazy (a little) – no kidding. Now, for all you people out there with an amazing story to share (and I’ll save you the time of reading a long description, you can see that on my blog), have a look at my blog, I’m trying out a new idea of collecting stories from all sorts of interesting people: http://pragmaticallyeccentric.wordpress.com/share-your-story/

Don’t worry, it’s no spam, I’m just a 15 year-old girl in need of a Summer project and with a love of stories, I’d like to read them as much as the next person. So, I’m building a collection (or hoping to). Please, just take a look. Thank you.

I was delighted to find you. I have a fifty year old cookbook collection and I love reading cookbooks. Talk about a great destresser! I was thrilled to read that people actually do still buy cookbooks. I get no satisfaction from online recipes. As I read a recipe I know whether I will like it or not, somehow my taste buds, brain and eyes all connect with the ingredients on the page and I know if an item(s) should be left out, substituted, etc. I am not concerned about calories, weight gain, etc. I use real butter, eggs, etc. and always have. Taste and mouth “feel” is what food is all about. Besides, our bodies tell us what they need. This morning with my coffee my body sent a message to have snickerdoodles with my favorite beverage. I listened :)
Francene

As a baker, I think I will check this book out. Hopefully my local library can order it for me. I hate to buy a book and not like it. Where can one get a real Paris Style croissant anymore? Ever since I had some in Paris, I just can’t stop critiquing all croissants! LOL!

Nice Blog… I’m just starting myself to blog (www.http://ethanthemarketingpro.com).
It’s been a fun journey so far… Please check out my blog when you have a chance and let me know what you think. I love constructive feedback. And if I can be of any help to you as well, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Ethan

I so need to buy a bread maker! I made my own hot cross buns this year and vowed never again after all that kneading the dough and watching it rise only to get 12 measly buns out of it (aargh!). Great review and a book I might actually consider buying (its so hard to find a decent recipe book that’s not just dredging up the same old recipes and putting a slight spin on them).

Oreo cookie recipe? Say no more!
I am also one who makes everything from scratch. I used to make bread in a huge bowl, 7 loaves at a time, but my kids are in college and I would be 300 pounds if I still did that! I did just pull a banana chocolate chip cake out of the oven….
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!